The present invention relates to a self-baring connector fitted onto a flat cable of the type comprising several insulated electrical wires or several bare conductors, sunk in an insulating sheath, and comprising a base, a cover arranged to be fitted onto the base and connecting grips, whose number is at least equal to the number of insulated electrical wires or bare conductors. The connecting grips are mounted inside a space defined by the base and the cover and arranged to house the flat cable, and provided with at least one self-baring contact part.
European Patent EP-A-470,887 describes a branch connector for a flat cable, in which the self-baring contact presents an H-shaped structure securedly affixed to an intermediate support. The end of each branch is bevelled to form a tapered inlet. Fitting of such a connector is complicated.
Numerous known connectors of the self-baring type are usually used to achieve simple and quick electrical coupling of individual electrical wires or pairs of wires, used for example in telephone installations, with connection terminals. In these applications, the thickness of the insulating layer which surrounds the conductor is small and the conductor itself is fragile. The contact parts housed inside these known connectors have the function of making a cut in the insulator without damaging the conductor to provide an efficient and reliable electrical connection. However, these connectors are not suitable for flat wires and can only be used for individual wires and not for strips of wires sunk in a flat insulating ribbon cable.